Adapting to Happiness
by eloquententity
Summary: When hell is an understatement for Sydney's life, someone changes everything
1. Friendship Still Alive

Author's Note: This is my first fan fiction!! I hope you enjoy this.please read and review! The thoughts are in asterisks (*)  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Sydney unlocked the door to her apartment, walked in, and threw her mail on the table. She didn't care anymore. For a while, she had been so confused with everything. But she had realized that everything was plain and simple- Vaughn was with Lauren, and that was it. Sydney sighed. *You can't dwell on what will never be*, she reminded herself.  
  
Sydney pressed a button on her answering machine to listen to the messages she received.  
  
"Hey, Syd-It's Will. I'm coming at 8:00, okay? Remember, I'm bringing Pizza. See you soon." Sydney checked the clock. 7:30. She would just take a quick shower before he came.  
  
The next messages were junk, and she hardly paid any attention to them. However, the fourth and final message made her stop on her tracks.  
  
"Sydney-Sydney? Sydney.It's Francie.I'm so scared, Sydney. Are you there?" *Click.*  
  
Sydney's heart began to beat faster and faster as she tried to process what she had just heard. *What the hell? Francie? What about Allison...she killed Francie! What just happened?*  
  
She heard a soft knock at the door and jumped. Racing to the door, she tried to think of what to say to Will. What would he think? Would he believe her? Of course he would, she had the message to prove it! Was it even Francie?  
  
"Hey Sydney, I know I'm early, I decided on Chinese instead of-"  
"Will!" Sydney grabbed his arm, causing him to drop the dinner. She played her messages again and impatiently skipped to Francie's message.  
  
"Sydney-Sydney? Sydney." The message played softly.  
"Oh my god.is that-" Will began. The rest of the message was heard. Will let out short but loud breaths of shock.  
  
"What do we do?" It came out as more of a plea to Sydney rather than a question.  
"I don't know.we don't know where she is, so we can't contact her. We'll just have to wait." Sydney was unsure of her own words, but it was all she had.  
  
"Wait? Francie's been gone for just as long as you have! Now we get this message from her out of no where, and all we can do is wait?!" Will cried out. He loved Francie. She was always easy-going, always so much fun. She would do anything for her friends. He loved Sydney as a friend, but Francie.he couldn't believe it had taken him so long to realize that all he wanted was right in front of him for the longest time.  
  
The Chinese was now on the ground, unimportant and long forgotten. Sydney knew how Will was feeling. "Hopefully it won't be too long." She began, hesitating to think of something that would at least ease the angst, though that was near impossible.  
"I'm not leaving until she calls." He announced.  
"You don't have to." Sydney answered.  
  
And so the two waited, for hours on end. They played games but paid little attention to what they were doing. Neither of them could take their minds of Francie, what was, what could've been, and what may be in the future, if only she would call again. Finally Sydney knew that it was no use trying to distract each other from thinking of Francie.  
  
"Let's talk." Sydney spoke firmly.  
"What do you call what we were just doing.?" Will knew what she meant.  
"You know I mean about F-Francie." The name felt like a stranger to her tongue.  
"Okay." He sighed, giving in to what would be a long and emotional conversation. He tried to live in denial when Francie had died, and now putting everything out in the open was going to be painful.  
  
"Did you love Francie, Will? I know you two were good friends, and I was so excited when you started dating. What do you think would've come of it?"  
  
Will gulped. *Here goes my last ounce of composure,* he thought. "I always loved Francie, as a friend. We always hung out together, during your missions. You know how she hated being alone. We became even closer when I had to help her out with opening the restaurant. I noticed she was always smiling, always so outgoing with her customers, with strangers, with anyone. She was larger than life. I can honestly say I was falling in love with her as more than a friend, as a lover."  
  
"Will.I never knew. I never knew you felt so strongly." Sydney spoke only because she had to say something. She wanted more though. "Go on."  
  
"After the first couple of weeks Francie started acting weird. It didn't feel the same, she felt like the sun before, you know? Always so bright. Now it was different."  
  
Sydney smiled. The sun, a perfect way to describe Francie. Will always knew exactly what to say.  
  
Will yawned; it was already 2:00 in the morning. He slowly continued. "I thought it was just me, though, I thought it was me being afraid of commitment, typical guy feelings. Things were just too good to be true before, I told myself I was trying to make her seem bad. It was Allison though. It was Allison."  
"I never noticed. I was always busy; I never had time for her. I never made time. Now I'm just filled with regret." Sydney teared up. It was her fault Francie was killed. First Danny, then Francie. She hated bringing the people she loved into that life.  
  
"Syd, you can't blame yourself! Francie loved you. Everyone did." He wiped away her tears. "Don't worry.we'll find her.where there's a Will, there's a way." He chuckled at his own pun. He said that all the time, and Francie always joked that when Will was here, "there's a way, Syd!"  
  
Sydney smiled. "I wish that applied to getting Vaughn back." She looked down.  
"Maybe it does. Let's just take one thing at a time, okay? First we have to use our magic powers to get this damn phone to ring."  
  
And so it did. 


	2. Unexpected Help

Author's Note: Asterisks (*) also mean italics(words/phrases that need emphasis) along with thoughts, too. Hope you guys enjoy this! This chapter is where you'll find out who the person who's going to change everything is.is it Vaughn? Hmm..  
  
Chapter 2  
  
"Oh my god!" Sydney ran to the kitchen and Will jumped over the counter to grab the phone.  
"Hello?" Sydney's voice cracked.  
"Is Amanda there?" A high-pitched voice squeaked.  
"WRONG NUMBER!" Sydney shouted and slammed the receiver down. "God, Joey's Pizza would've been a better message than some Amanda girl!" Sydney cried, exasperated.  
"Syd, it's okay.we'll get through this. Hey, we both have to head off to work now. I'll see you soon. Don't kill yourself over this-Francie's strong, you know." Will gave her a quick hug.  
"Yeah, I know, thanks.bye." Sydney fought back the tears.  
* ".Sark has now proved his loyalty to the CIA and will be accompanying the team on some field missions in the near future. That's all for today," Dixon finished as everyone casually got up to leave. Was Sydney the only one who didn't trust this man? Did *that* much happen while she was gone?  
"Dad, what the hell just happened? How do these people trust Sark? What's he doing with *us*?" Sydney nearly screamed.  
Jack sighed. "Sydney, so much has changed.you've got to believe that people can change, and Sark has. He still seems evil, at times, but his motives are different now. He's different now."  
Vaughn agreed. "He's not the man we use to know, Syd. Just give him a chance."  
"It's *Sydney* to you, Mr. Vaughn." She snapped. Sark came up behind her and gave a satisfied smirk. "Ms. Bristow, how very nice to see you. How are you these days?" "Fine.just tell me how the hell you convinced everyone that you're on our side now, will you?" Sydney questioned angrily. "Easy, I *am* on this side now." He smiled. "Say, I know this may sound awkward, but I need a place to stay for a couple of weeks until I find a new apartment. Now that agent ass isn't around any longer, mind if I occupy some of your space?" Sydney laughed at his reference to Vaughn. He was still smooth and he hadn't lost his arrogant confidence, but Sydney knew he was asking sincerely. Still, Sydney didn't trust him; he had been too dangerous in the past. "Sydney.if you don't trust me, say yes.after all, you'll be able to keep a better eye on me, won't you? You can make sure I won't do anything deceitful." "Syd, just take him up on his offer, will you? It won't be that bad.at least you'll have company.bad company, but company." Weiss interjected. Sydney sighed. "Okay, okay. But you're not getting the spare key." "Fine. Oh and thank you, Ms. Bristow. I won't disappoint you." With that, Sark turned and left, leaving her to think about what she just did.  
* When Sydney and Sark got to her house, she immediately raced to the answering machine. She played the messages; hoping one would be Francie's. She heard Francie's voice and jumped; only to realize it was yesterday's message replaying. "SHIT!" Sydney screamed. Tears streamed down her rosy cheeks as she sank down to the floor. "Sydney-that was Francie?" Sark whispered. Sydney nodded. She really wished Sark wasn't here right now, so that he wouldn't intervene, or worse, make some stupid comment when she didn't need to hear it.  
He came closer and held Sydney's hand awkwardly. He wanted to hug her, but he knew she would pull away. She winced.  
"Sydney, let's go-I know where she is."  
"You WHAT? WHERE?!" Sydney desperately pleaded.  
"Sydney, just come with me, okay? Just trust me, I promise you we'll have Francie back within 4 hours. I promise." He wiped he tears away with his cheek. She closed her eyes, trying to take in the sensation of his warm hand on her face.  
"Wait, I have to call Will first." Sydney said.  
"We have to go now, Sydney, she probably escaped from wherever she was. We have to go before.they take her back."  
Sydney did not reply but grabbed her gun. They left in anxious silence. Sydney was anxious to see Francie, and Sark was anxious to see Sydney smile for the first time since she came back. 


End file.
